Automatic grain-scale



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. A. BRADLEY.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN SCALE. No. 406,254.. Patented July 2, 1889.;

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No. 406,254 Patented July 2, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

IVALTER A. BRADLEY, OF BUFFALO, NEXV YORK.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN-SCALE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,254, dated July 2, 1889.

Application filed February 10, 1888 Serial No. 263,577. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, 'it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER A. BRADLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Scales, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide the means for automatically weighing grain or other material in transit; and it consists of a weighing-scale having a hollow scale-beam inclosing rollers adapted to roll from one end of the beam to the other, as it may be inclined during the process of weighing; also, certain other details of construction, all of which will be fully and clearly hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the scale complete, certain portions being broken away or in section to expose the interior construction. Fig. 2 is a detached front elevation of the vertic lly-adjustable yoke for holding the end of the beam in place. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detached top view of the scale-beam, a portion being broken away to show the interior construction. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation. Fig. 5 represents a top plan view, a section being shown through line a Z), Fig. 4, through the grain-spout; and Fig. 6 is a modification.

In the drawings Ihave shown myinvention as connected to the under side 1 of an ordinary grain-bin by means of the grain-tube 2 3. This tube extends down and is provided with an inclined bottom 4, which terminates in an outlet-spout 5. Above the outlet-spout is a tube 6 running in the direction of the weighing-beam through the vertical grain-tube 3. (See Fig. 1.) The object of this transverse tube 6 is to protect the short beam or lever 7 from the grain flowing down the tube 3 and from dust and dirt. The beam 7 rests on a pivot S on the frame 9, which is secured by bolts 10 to the tube 3. On the rear end of the beam 7 is rigidly secured a cross-piece 11, and to this cross-piece 11 is suspended by the rods 12 the weighing-hopper 13. The opposite end of the beam 7 is provided with pivots 14, to which is secured the usual loop-bar 15. The lower end of the bar 15 is connected by its loops to thefulcrum-pivots 16 of the weighingbeam 17. The opposite end of this weighingbeam is supported in a loop bar or yoke 18, which is connected to the supporting-beam 19 by having its shank 20 pass up through a hole in the supporting-beam 19 and made adjustable vertically by means of a set-screw 21. The supporting-beam 19 is rigidly secured to the tube 3 in any well-known way.

A shut-off plate 22 for shutting off the grain when required is secured to two arms 23 24,

which are pivoted by pins 25 to the tube To the arm 23 is attached or formed in one piece with it an arm 26, extending obliquely upward, so that its end rests nearly up against the under side of an arm 27, pivoted by a pin 28 to the side of the tube 3 and provided with a movable counter-weight 29. A cross-bar at the top of the cut-01f plate 22 is connected with the ends of thepivoted arms 23 24, having at its center a projecting piece 34, to which is pivoted by a pin a downwardlyprojecting rod 36, having a yoke or loop 37 at its lower end, through which a pin e projects. At the opposite end of the arm 27 is pivoted by a pin 30 a vertical connecting-rod 31, having a bend or offset 32 (see Fig. 4) at its lower end, so as to bring it near the center of one side of the hopper 13, and is provided with a yoke or loop 33. The loop 33 is connected by a pin 38 with an angular arm 39, pivoted to a bracket 40, secured to the hopper 13. At the bottom of the hopper is pivoted a valve 4], adapted to swing open on a hinge or pivot 42 by the weight of the grain in the hopper. Projecting out from the valve 41 is an arm, 43, provided with a counter-weight 44 for adj ust-ing it so the valve will close automatically after the hopper is empty. On the arm 43 is a pin 45, over which the lower end or portion 0 of the arm 39 projects when the valve is shut and keeps it shut until opened, as will be more clearly hereinafter shown.

The beam 17 is made hollow, as shown' in Figs. 1 and 3. It may be provided with apartition or not, as maybe desired: For some scales the partition 46 would not be required. This beam 17 is also provided with one or more holes 47, into which the removable pin o' is placed. Its object is to regulate the amount to be weighed. lVithin the beam is one or more rollers 48. In the drawings I have shown a series of balls; but one ball or roller can be made sufficiently large to answer in the place of a series of small balls. The object in using a series of small balls or rollers is that it divides the force when they strike the end of the beam, because they do not roll together. The first weight starts first and the others follow in succession, whereas a single large roller would at the end of its movement strike with considerable force, and thereby injure the accuracy of the beam by disturbing the position and injuring the fulcrum-pivots. The object in inclosing the rolling weights within the beam is to cover said rolling weights and protect them from dust. This construction is important, because the dust of a flour-mill, for instance, would very soon destroy their usefulness by clogging them, and prevent them from acting at the instant required.

The operation of the invention is as follows: Communication being opened in the. usual way between the bin and the tube 3, the grain flows into the hopper until the weight is sufficient to lift the front end of the beam 17 so that it is about horizontal, or substantially so. In this position of the beam the pin 6 will leave the under side of loop 37. This operation allows the weight of the cut-off 22 and the arms 23 2a to partly close the cut-off, so that a less quantity of grain runs into the hopper, and when a sufficient quantity has run into the hopper so that the beam inclines from the heat down to the rear the balls or rollers instantly change position by rolling down the incline from the front to the rear of the beam, and consequently bring the weight from the front end of the beam to the rear, and thereby bring suflieient force to entirely close the shut-off 22 to stop the iiow of grain and to cause the pin 6 to strike the lower inner side of the loop 37 with sufficient force to bring the end of the arm 26 against the arm 27, and thereby by means of the rod 3]. lift the arm 39 and bring its lower end 0 oil? from the pin 4L5 and allow the weight of the grain in the hopper to open the valve 41 and the grain to flow out. The moment the grain leaves the hopper so it becomes sufficiently light, the valve in the bottom of the hopper closes, the forward end of the beam goes down, and, its incline being reversed, the balls or rollers will roll back again, the cut-off opens and allows the material to flow until the hopper again becomes filled and of sufficient weight, when the process above described will be repeated.

If desired, any well-known registering device may be connected with the scale to indicate the number of times the hopper has been filled.

An equivalent to the rolling weights above described would be to put the required quan tity of quicksilver into the beam in lieu of the balls. The operation would be substantially the same by transferring the weight from one end of the beam to the other, as above described.

In the modification I have shown a rolling weight attached to the outside of the beam, adapted to perform the same operation of rolling from one end of the beam to the other as it is inclined, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 6.

I claim as my invention 1. In a weighing-scale, the combination of a hollow scale-beam pivoted near one end and inclosing a rolling weight for carrying the weight of the beam in the direction of its incline, with a supporting loop-bar 15, pivoted thereto and having its opposite end pivoted to a beam 7, pivoted by a pivot- 8 to a support 9, and carrying a hopper at its opposite end, substantially as described.

2. In a weighing-scale, the combinatirm therewith of a hollow scale-beam pivoted near one end, a longitudinal partition within said beam dividing it into apartments, and a series of rolling weights within said apartments, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In a Weighing-scale, the combination of the pivoted beam '7, connected by a connecting-link to the weighing-beam i17,a hopper connected to the beam. 7, a pivoted arm 27, connected by a connecting-rod to an angular arm pivoted to the lower portion of the hopper and having a lower portion 0 for engaging with a pin on the arm 43 of the valve 4-], two arms pivoted to opposite sides of the grain-spout, carrying a cut-elf 22, and a pivoted link 36, connected by a loop and pin e on the weighing-beam 17, the arm 23 having an extension 26, adapted to engage with the arm 27, whereby when the hopper is nearly filled with grain the weighing-beam begins to rise and allows the cut-off to be partly closed, and when the weight in the hopper is just sufficient to raise the front end of the beam so as to incline from the front downward the rolling weight will immediately change its position from the front to the rear of the beam and cause the flow of grain to be shutoff from the bin and open the valve to permit the grain to flow from the hopper, substantially as de" scribed.

HALTER A. BRADLEY.

\Vitnesses:

.TAMEs SANcs'rEn, ARTHUR J. SANcsrEn- 

